lover standing in a dark street watching the shadow-play of his beloved on a window-blind. The physical yearning he had felt for her upon the hill returned with a warm, sweet rush and he began to feel like a gambler who sees his horse drawing ahead of the others and carrying his winnings past the post. Then she did another curious thing. With a shrug she wriggled out of her silk slip and moved back a pace, standing relaxed in her sheath-like corset, bra and black lace panties, admiring herself and turning this way and that, a warm
42
flush upon her cheeks and her lips parted. Sebastian resisted an impulse to chuckle. All the years he had known her he had never seen her behave like this, never suspected that, when alone, her conduct varied in any way from that of the composed, ultra-dignified woman who never raised her voice and walked without seeming to use her feet. Yet it was so obvious from her pose and expression that she was delighted with her reflection. She patted her flat stomach and lifted her large breasts. Then she turned sideways and studied her profile, her glance travelling down until she could see the line of her hips and heavy buttocks in the side-flap of the dressing-table mirror. She did not seem to find this part of her anatomy so pleasing for she frowned and wriggled her toes, as though protesting at so much flesh. She was still frowning when he gave himself away, leaning forward to improve his view and forgetting that wicker-work creaked.
She gave a little gasp of dismay and he jumped up, giving an apologetic cough and calling, "It's all right, Sybil, it's only me!"- an admission he instantly regretted because it implied that he had been spying on her since^she entered the room. She almost ran round the bed and flung open his door.
"What on earth are you doing, Sebastian? How long have you been sitting there in the dark?"
She seemed very embarrassed and angry and he hastened to calm her.
"Only a moment or so, I came up just as they were going."
"But you must have heard me come in!"
"Yes, I did, naturally I did."
"Then why on earth didn't you say something?"
He wanted to explain that he had been so absorbed in her as a woman that he did not want to deny himself the pleasure of looking at her and something like this rose to his lips but he realised that this would only increase her displeasure. It was obvious from the bright pinkness of her cheeks and the light in her eyes that she resented his Peeping Tom tactics, so he said:
"I was thinking, I've got a great deal to think about, Sybil."
"Really? What especially?"
"I've had a big row with the Head and I don't think I'm going back to Napier Hall."
43
"You mean you've given notice?"
He could see she was not only surprised but piqued and this disconcerted him for suddenly he was utterly bored with Lane-Perkins and the Reverend Hawley and everything else in the immediate past. It was obviously a day for- seeing people as they really were. For the first time in years, he was seeing his wife as a glowing, healthy and extremely desirable woman and he did not want to be side-tracked into a dismal recital of everything that had happened that day. They could discuss Napier Hall later. They had the whole of their lives to discuss it and cope with any repercussions that followed Lane-Perkins" painful acquaintance with the hot-water pipes. At the moment what he needed was solace, the physical solace of the strong, handsome woman standing before him with light gleaming on her pale shoulders revealing the petal-like texture of her skin. She must have read his mind for she turned aside and picked up a flowered robe that was lying on the end of the bed.
"Don't bother with that, Sybil!" he said, hoarsely and reaching out to relieve her of it. "I'll explain everything later, afterwards!"
To his extreme mortification she swung round and stepped backwards until she was standing against the wardrobe. There was tension and anxiety in the way she braced both
42
flush upon her cheeks and her lips parted. Sebastian resisted an impulse to chuckle. All the years he had known her he had never seen her behave like this, never suspected that, when alone, her conduct varied in any way from that of the composed, ultra-dignified woman who never raised her voice and walked without seeming to use her feet. Yet it was so obvious from her pose and expression that she was delighted with her reflection. She patted her flat stomach and lifted her large breasts. Then she turned sideways and studied her profile, her glance travelling down until she could see the line of her hips and heavy buttocks in the side-flap of the dressing-table mirror. She did not seem to find this part of her anatomy so pleasing for she frowned and wriggled her toes, as though protesting at so much flesh. She was still frowning when he gave himself away, leaning forward to improve his view and forgetting that wicker-work creaked.
She gave a little gasp of dismay and he jumped up, giving an apologetic cough and calling, "It's all right, Sybil, it's only me!"- an admission he instantly regretted because it implied that he had been spying on her since^she entered the room. She almost ran round the bed and flung open his door.
"What on earth are you doing, Sebastian? How long have you been sitting there in the dark?"
She seemed very embarrassed and angry and he hastened to calm her.
"Only a moment or so, I came up just as they were going."
"But you must have heard me come in!"
"Yes, I did, naturally I did."
"Then why on earth didn't you say something?"
He wanted to explain that he had been so absorbed in her as a woman that he did not want to deny himself the pleasure of looking at her and something like this rose to his lips but he realised that this would only increase her displeasure. It was obvious from the bright pinkness of her cheeks and the light in her eyes that she resented his Peeping Tom tactics, so he said:
"I was thinking, I've got a great deal to think about, Sybil."
"Really? What especially?"
"I've had a big row with the Head and I don't think I'm going back to Napier Hall."
43
"You mean you've given notice?"
He could see she was not only surprised but piqued and this disconcerted him for suddenly he was utterly bored with Lane-Perkins and the Reverend Hawley and everything else in the immediate past. It was obviously a day for- seeing people as they really were. For the first time in years, he was seeing his wife as a glowing, healthy and extremely desirable woman and he did not want to be side-tracked into a dismal recital of everything that had happened that day. They could discuss Napier Hall later. They had the whole of their lives to discuss it and cope with any repercussions that followed Lane-Perkins" painful acquaintance with the hot-water pipes. At the moment what he needed was solace, the physical solace of the strong, handsome woman standing before him with light gleaming on her pale shoulders revealing the petal-like texture of her skin. She must have read his mind for she turned aside and picked up a flowered robe that was lying on the end of the bed.
"Don't bother with that, Sybil!" he said, hoarsely and reaching out to relieve her of it. "I'll explain everything later, afterwards!"
To his extreme mortification she swung round and stepped backwards until she was standing against the wardrobe. There was tension and anxiety in the way she braced both
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